Bihar polls: Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap booked for MCC violation

Janshakti Janata Dal (JJD) chief Tej Pratap Yadav, elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, has been booked for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) while filing his nomination papers for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

According to police, the incident occurred on 16 October when Tej Pratap arrived at the Mahua constituency office in Vaishali district to submit his nomination. A video circulating on social media shows him travelling in an SUV bearing a police logo and fitted with a beacon light.

In his complaint, the circle officer of Mahua stated that the footage was examined and confirmed that the police insignia and beacon were not official but privately used. “A case was therefore registered for violation of the election code of conduct,” the complaint said.

The MCC, enforced by the Election Commission of India (ECI), lays down a set of guidelines to ensure fair conduct by political parties and candidates during elections.

Tej Pratap, once a senior leader of the RJD, launched his own party, the Janshakti Janata Dal, after being expelled from the RJD for six years by his father. The expulsion came following controversy over a social media post in which he reportedly admitted to being in a relationship.

Tej Pratap later claimed that his account had been hacked, but Lalu Prasad Yadav proceeded to expel and subsequently disown him, citing “irresponsible behaviour.”

For the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Tej Pratap’s JJD is contesting 21 constituencies, including 13 currently held by members of the INDIA bloc, which comprises the RJD, Congress, and CPI-ML(L).